2023 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Thirty years ago Lynzy Billings’ family was murdered–taken from her in the middle of the night. Now, in The Night Doctrine, Lynzy goes on a journey to uncover the truth behind what happened to her family on that fateful night. As she digs deeper and deeper, Lynzy finds herself uncovering secrets that she could have never dreamed to be real. This is her story.
The Night Doctrine is a gut-wrenching story based on actual events–ones in which innocent people were murdered. The fact of the matter is that The Night Doctrine will make your spine tingle, and it will be difficult to swallow some of the information given to you throughout the course of the film. While the film is animated, it does a wonderful job of making connections between this animated world and the real world. At no point do viewers question the validity of the film or its content–and much of the realism that transcends audiences stems from the sound that pairs so beautifully with the animation.
The connection between the sound and animation allows The Night Doctrine to thrive from the opening moments. Sound plays such a pivotal role in the development of The Night Doctrine, as viewers are able to hear everything from bullets and bombs to the clicking of a keyboard or ringing phones. Again, sometimes with animation there is a struggle to find an emotional connection, because it doesn’t look like the world we live in. The animation here is beautiful, and it most certainly bridges the gap between viewer and film–but it’s ultimately the sound that best reflects reality, that best connects viewers to the film. Everything sounds real, everything sounds familiar (even when the sounds aren’t ones that we are incredibly familiar with), and as everything plays out, viewers are pulled into the film, completely absorbed by all that is being done.
Lynzy, by default, is the narrator of The Night Doctrine. It’s only right that she be the one to tell this story, that she’s the one that gets to tell the world about these horrific events–but her voice drives this film and helps it to connect with viewers. Even if the film hadn’t been about her personal experiences, she may have been the best person for the job. Her voice is soothing, passionate, calm–and, yet, her voice is powerful and authoritative. She isn’t boisterous, but rather the confidence that resides in her voice is what makes her so important to The Night Doctrine.
From the opening moments, what Directors Mauricio Rodriguez-Pons and Almudena Toral attempt to do is bridge the gap between content and audience. They use the animation to do that, to bring these horrible events to life in a way that viewers can understand and appreciate. However, what’s even more important is the sound–in every capacity. Sound effects, score, and narrative come together to create this extraordinary soundscape that drives The Night Doctrine forward–and this never relents from beginning to end. The Night Doctrine is a beautiful piece of art with a dark message–and it will remain relevant for years to come.
Directed by Mauricio Rodriguez Pons & Almudena Toral.
Starring Lynzy Billing, Mahzala, Baseer, Hadi, Ghulam Rasul, & Matiullah.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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